Epic trail for advanced hikers. (See bottom to skip details and for conclusion)

Easy to get to, park at bow falls parking lot and walk past the golf course and head right to start. The beginning 1/3 of the hike is very easy, trail is obvious and easy to follow. Moderate incline.

The next third spices things up, trail starts to go up and down before hitting the switchback portion. Once at the switchbacks the intensity increases and the incline gets much greater, but the views get better!

Then you hit the last third and this is where things get seriously real. Once you go through the gully and onto the dragonback, the trail gets extremely intense. Gets difficult to follow the trail (especially with snow on the ground), but all you’re really doing is scrambling up so it’s not a big deal. Lookout for the yellow markers on the trees.

At this point, be prepared to be on all fours for the last 1.5hrs as you get closer to the top. This is a real scramble and NOT good for the faint of heart. As you reach the peak the incline nears practically vertical. You are on loose rock and footing is tough. Every 10 steps you’ll need a break. The peak will appear close, but it’s a tough and draining couple hundred meters.

Conclusion: Epic hike, epic views. Don’t go with your fam for a casual sightseeing hike, or if you’re not confident in your abilities. This is a hike for those who want to conquer. Plan for a 6-8 hour round trip in the winter. Hiking Boots mandatory, spikes are a good idea. Pack for wind/cold at the top. Bring lots of food. Have a blast, it’s a hell of a hike.

Hiked on 11.1.18Microspikes and poles up to the tea house. Heard multiple avalanches..Attempted to walk to the lookout point but turned around about 3/4 of the way due to high snow, unsure footing and avalanche risk.Overall excellent hike had the whole area to ourselves just be prepared.

Hiked up clockwise to the steep downhill rock band at kilometer 4. However the trail was amazingly dry all the way to this point, we decided to turn back due to the steep icy rocks and higher risk of slip and fall. It would have been nice if there was a chain installed at this point to increase safety of this beautiful trail.

This was one of the first trails I did, and it was a wonderful introduction into hiking. Go early in the morning as it gets very busy (there’s a teahouse up there - not Agnes teahouse, although that’s close by) and make the extra 1km trek to go have lunch in front of lefroy and upper Victoria glacier. You’ll see a few avalanches for sure.

Amazing trail, as everyone has said it's not easy. I took the clockwise route up to cory pass but the snow was so thick at edith pass I couldn't tell where the trail was. if you're going to attempt this hike in this season I would strongly recommend crampons and poles. the elevation gain is intense and coupled with snow and ice it makes for quite a treacherous climb. the scrambles in the snow were interesting but definitely manageable. again. crampons, wouldn't have been able to complete this hike without them. No bears but saw lots of tracks!!

If I could give this a million stars I would. This hike is by far the most amazing thing I've done in my life. I did it a few years ago, and it's just astonishingly gorgeous. Literally takes your breath away. Be prepared to sweat and stink. Sooo worth it though.

Did this hike on September 23rd with my dad... what an amazing hike!! Super easy to find the trail head, great markers, and WHAT A VIEW. We didn't actually get that great of a view because it was extremely foggy and also snowing when we got to the peak, but the larches and the scenery close to us made up for that. I would do this hike a million times over, I loved it so much.
Round trip: 7.5 hours! (this is with about an hour of break time as well, and we weren't rushing at all)

Did this hike on Sept 29, 2018. Absolutely beautiful and relatively easy if you watch your step after the tea house, it gets a bit icy. We had to turn around after seeing an avalanche. Keep an eye out for trail reports if doing this in October.

Hiked to the tea house in snow pack. Poles + Yaktrax on hiking boots made it manageable. Tea house closed however it was beautiful to sit and enjoy our home made hot tea from our thermos. Icicles (some falling) on the upper path; witnessed an avalanche on the lower Victoria glacier, Another group saw a bear w/ 2 cubs.

Wonderful moderate hike. Some snow and ice currently at the top section before the teahouse. Can do without crampons or spikes but they do help with footing if you have them. definitely recommend the short jaunt to the lookout. Fairly busy. Was not crowded but saw lots of traffic.

Hiked today up to the Teahouse and out to the Overlook which is worth the extra effort. The morning started out with cloud coverage obstructing some of the views, but around noon we were able to see the peaks. I would suggest good shoes because the terrain can be a little rocky(this may seem obvious to some but many were wearing terrible shoes). There are a few steep inclines, but you can go slower if you need. I would say you need to be somewhat physically fit/capable to do this hike but you do not need to be an expert hiker to complete it.

Great hike. Started in clockwise direction stunning view of Banff and mountains. Pretty cool once you get to the saddle and hike through the snow for 2k. I'd recommend keeping on the left on the trails between km 1 and 4 as this is the most direct route but steeper. I measured the loop as 12.5 km in total for 5 hours of hiking. You'd want to be fairly fit taking this one on, as the elevation gain between km 1 and 4 is cruel but definitely worth it.

Great trail. Worth doing for those who like adventure. Like everyone said went went clockwise. Try and stay left if there are any forks during the trail for the couple kms. Challenging hike but well worth the grind up. Do not do if your scared of heights. 6hrs flat with some picture time. Worked out to 16kms. The 13kms must be a short cut we didn’t see

This trail starts off easy but definitely becomes more difficult as the elevation increases. It’s a steady climb up to the tea house. Make sure to go past the tea house to the look out, it’s worth the extra effort! We stopped at the tea house after hiking to the lookout and had a bite to eat. Expensive but you are eating halfway up a mountain. I recommend trekking poles and possibly crampons as it was slippery after the recent snowfall.

Got lost several times between mile 2 and 4; as has been said, it is difficult to differentiate between the trail and runoff paths. Around mile 3.9, after a scramble up some rocks, the trail appears to end at a 15’ rockface. You must go up this rockface (not as scary as it first seems). Then once on top, walk slightly right and you will see a hiker sign post. It appears to point right off the cliff. You must then scramble down the other side of the rocks. This is scary and I crabwalked partly down; there are small trees along the way to help you get down - treacherous. A large amount of the next part of the trail is traveling over scree on a path along the edge of the mountain. After a while you are used to it and just a couple of tense parts. You reach a high overlook (Corey Pass) and then must go down the backside of the mountain on a soft scree path which can be somewhat slippery; we found it best to lean backwards and dig in with your heals. Then the views ARE OUTSTANDING. You continue on thru larger scree with no issues and then thru bolders with the path marked by cairns. The last treacherous part is up a muddy, rocky, root filled runoff path with bushes to stabilize you. Then a long, boring walk back thru the forest with a couple of good views. Even tho I was freaked out at certain points, this was by far our best hike as it had the most outstanding views. Took us 7.5 hours with breaks and getting lost in the beginning.

Fun hike, although I wouldn't say it was a favorite, except for the extra part after the teahouse, which was really fun! I tend to enjoy hikes that are a little more difficult though, so if you're looking for something pretty steady and with great views, this is definitely a must! We started with the first bus at 7am and it was cold and rainy. On the way up, the sky cleared a bit and we had good views of the glaciers at the top. Coming back down, it started raining and we were frozen by the end. Worth it!

Hiked on 9/15 to the overlook. About 6-8 inches of snow from the prior storms. Sun came out for a little while at the top and it was a winter wonderland! Snow on trails was packed and easily passable. However, the trail could become icy overnight if temperatures stay low, and then would be treacherous. Overall, it’s a fantastic hike!

A great hike with wonderful views every part of the way, def a moderate hike; hard to some that don't hike often! I did the loop starting by going up to the tea house at Lake Agnes and continuing around Big Beehive and connecting to the 6 Glacier trail. The trail is moderate and should be attempted by folks in decent shape as it is a longer hike (lots of visitors not knowing the scale of this hike and I found lots of ill-equipped people on the trail, such as no water, wearing jeans, no day-packs). Plan on spending 4-5 hours on the trail if doing the loop, more if you plan to have tea at both houses. Side note, horses use the trails so beware of poop ;) If you like, you can continue for another 30-40 mins on from the 6 glaciers tea house to a closer view of the glaciers. This trail is narrow and steep in sections but wonderful, you get to hear the glaciers/snow cracking! Also, 90% of the hike is exposed to the sun and you will get hot.

The extra hike past the tea house is difficult, but one of the most beautiful views I have ever seen! It took me an extra hour including the time I spent at the end seated, listening to the glaciers crack! Definitely worth the extra sweat!!

Incredible hike well worth the effort! Be prepared for rapid weather changes, as it was clear at the base, raining/sleeting on the way to Cory Pass, snowing as we made the turn, and raining again on the way down. The trail was muddy in sections, but manageable. Also, there’s a small bit of climbing down rocks required on your way up to Cory Pass, but it’s doable if done slowly (would also have been helpful if it was dry). We measured about 20km total. The landscapes are absolutely amazing!

At this time of the year I would recommend using poles, helmet and cleats. We did it without any of those and it was rather risky. My boyfriend and his team did it earlier without any equipment around July and it was much easier.